The latest release of Apache Tuscany SCA, version 1.2 of the Java SCA project, added a number of new features. Notable amongst these was support for running Tuscany in the Apache Felix OSGi runtime. SCA, a set of specifications being standardized by OASIS as part of the Open Composite Services Architecture (Open CSA), is aimed at simplifying SOA application development. The Apache Tuscany project provides a runtime environment based on the Service Component Architecture (SCA) and, as of release 1.2, runs in an OSGi environment.

Along with Infiniflow Distributed Service Framework (DSF) from Paremus, and others, Apache Tuscany is yet another SCA implementation that is taking advantage of OSGi's first class support for modular services. This is hardly surprising. The common ground between SCA and OSGi cannot be avoided. Both specifications tout encapsulation of implementation, exposure of interfaces, declaration of dependencies or references, a service register of sorts, amongst others. What is surprising is that both stem from vastly different ends of the computing continuum. OSGi has its origins in small scale, embedded devices and SCA focused, from the outset, on enterprise SOA solutions. The separating factor between the two is that SCA is technology agnostic but OSGi is based on Java.

Clearly, the synergy between OSGi and SCA is a strong one and we may well see OSGi gaining greater prominence because of SCA and SOA than any other initiatives.

The Apache Tuscany SCA 1.2 release includes implementations of the main SCA specifications including:

SCA Assembly Model V1.0

SCA Policy Framework V1.0

SCA Java Common Annotations and APIs V1.0

SCA Java Component Implementation V1.0

SCA Spring Component Implementation V1.0

SCA BPEL Client and Implementation V1.0

SCA Web Services Binding V1.0

SCA EJB Session Bean Binding V1.0

For full details about the release and to download the distributions please go to Tuscany Release Page.